Automatic feed control for flange oilers



P. W. EDWARDS. l l l 'Auowmnc FEED ycow-mon ma FLANGE onzas.

APPLICATION mtb 1MM. 1 9'21. y u

i Mmmm 00111.. 24, 1927.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. 5 4

- F. W. EDWARDS.

i 4 v AUTOMATIC FEED CONTROL FOR ELANGE OILERS.

APPLlcAnoN min JAN.5, 192s.

LAMAAAT@ l mmm @en my m52.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, y WT T To all whom tmag] oon/cern.'

1 ia i. van. apparatus for supplying lubricant to y y tion of which to control `the flow oflubri-l Patented! Unt., Zell, 4

seminario renin conrnon non. tinnen oriiiiies Application iled January 5, 1921. Serial No. 435,121.

cant will be. automatic and not require manual control by the engineer. y

rllieiadvantages of such a device will be apparent `when it is` considered that some" oiling devices, such as flange oilers, should operate only when the machine with which they are used is in motion, vand the feed or l s urce of 1 supply to such ldevices should `in the interest of economy and proper opera- `tion be cut off when the machine stopsor remains standing; i i

ldleretofore all lubricatingl devices of the charactermentioned so far as I ani aware,

have depended for the starting,- and stopping `oftheir operation upon the manipulation of various valves by theengineer,thus malring it` necessary that the engineer give these devices his attention when leaving his inachine standing; and it has been a common erperieuce, especially in thecase of` flange oileisfor locomotives,"that the engineer `has `iie,elected, when leavin@1 his engine, to close the valves commonly used `for controlling f water of condensation tothe i oilbowl to,

the operationofsuch Oilers, 'thereby causing 'f a `waste of both steam and oil.

lVjith my device, which fis particularly adapted to lubricators` of the condensation displacement type, I provide automatic valves which will allow lubricantv to feed pable ofv imparting` motion to thelubricator,

and when such inotion ceases the feed of lulbi'icantcut olf bythe valves. .i The invention consists in a lubricalto having' an oilbowl, and a condenser connected therewith" and adapted to f supply raise the oil *in thebo-wl and cause itto flow therefrom into feed arms and thence to the parts to be lubricated. interposed `between the condenser and theoil bowlv isa gravity-seated motion-responsive valve, and

`a similar valve is also interposed. between the oil bowl and the feed arm, whereby when `the lub-iicator is subjected to such motion as will unseat these valvesffeed of oil is obtained, but when the machine on which the lubricator is used is stationary the valvesv remain seated and feed of oil ceases.

i In the aecoinpanying,` `drawings illustrating. y the invention, in which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is` aside elevation showing my in vention appliedkto a condensation displace* nient lubricator of the type shown in my llatent No. fl-ltl, granted February l,

laid. 2 is a front `view of same. F ig. isa partial sectional planview taken on line 3-3 `of F ig. 2.. Fig. 4 is a fragnien tary plan Aview similar to Fig. 3, but showing` theinvention ona larger scale. Fig. 5 is a `partial line. .5h-5, Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a fragment-ary sectional viewvtalfenV in the plane of line 6G, Fig. Il. Fig. 7 is a view similar to 6 but showing" a modification wherein `the valve for the feed tip is omitted.

-The luln'icator illustrated comprises an' oil bowl l, anda condensing` coil 2, the lat- `ter beiiigconiiected through a union 3 and pipe et, with a sonrce of supply of steam. vll/ien the device is used in connection with the flange oileis of a locomotive, the pipe 4 is pr rably connected with the steam supilily pipe of `the locomotive airpu1np between the valve for such supply and the up, so that when the operation of the unip started, and this is always the oase when the `locomotive is to` be "used, the supply of steam to the condenser 2 of the lulu'icatoi will be opened.`

Connected with theoil bowl at diametri.- cally lpposite points, are feedA arms 5, simiar in all particulars, provided with sight glasses @through which the feed tips 7 (see Fig. 5) are visible. These tips may be provided with valves 8 by which the rapids it)7 of feed of the oil'to the tip may be regulated. ln the lubricator of my patent above mentioned. it possible to completely shut undesirable to provide `for cutting off the "feed .of oil at this point, and l therefore the several ligures of section taken in the plane` ofv lOO provide the valve 8 with a Hattened portion 9, or in any other suitable way allow for a by-pass by means of which oil will always be fed to the feed tip when it is flowing from the chamber 21 hereinafter referred to. If desired, the valves 8 may be entirely omitted, as shown in Fig. 7.

From the feed tips 7 the oil drops into the feed pipes 10, whence it is conducted to the point to be lubricated, such as a wheel flange, by means of the nozzles 1l, steam being` conducted to Ythe nozzles along with this oil so as to spray it from the nozzles by means of branches 12 connected with the pipes 10 and extending to the union interposed between the condenser 2 and the oil howl 1 is a motion-responsive valve il.. (see Fioj. comprising a chamber 13 having a radially inclined bottom 1l provided with a central aperture 15 communicating with the water pipe 1b which extends substantially tothe bottom of the 'oil bowl and conducts water of condensation from the condenser 2 into the oil bowl to raise the oil therein. In this chamber 13 is mounted aheavy ball 17 adapted to center itself over and close the opening 15 when the lubricator is motionless, but capable when the lubricator is swayed or moved," as would be caused bythe lurching of the locomotive when travelling, of rolling` away from the opening 15 and allowing water of condensation to feed from thecondenser into the pipe 16. lt will thus be seen that no matter whether the engineer turns off the supply of steam to the condenseror not, lno water will be fed from the condenser into the oil howl except when' the locomotive is in motion. The ball 17 is'maintained in the chamber 13 by means of a cap 13 provided with` a nipple 13 which affordsa means of connection for the end of the condenser.

ln addition tothe valve just described, l

provide a similar valve B in the passage between the oil bowl and the feed arm, and this valve comprises a casing 1S preferably il' rmed integral with the feed arm and provided with a duct 19 which communicates with a passage 2O leading to the oil bowl and with a chamber 21 having a radially in- 4clined bottom 22, similar to the botto `i 14 of the chamberl 13, this chamber 21 having arranged centrally of its bottom an opening 23 communicating witha duct 211 leading to the feed arm and provided with a plug 25 which may be removed for cleaning purposes. Mounted in the chamber 21 and held therein by a cap 26 is a. ball 27 operating in the. same manner as the ball 17.

It will be seen that when the water of condensation from the condenser raises the level of the oil in the oil bowl 1, this oil will flow through thepassage 2O and duct 19 into the chamberv 21, and if the ball 27 is seated over the openingl 23, .no oil can feed therefrom into the feed arm 5 but if the ball is unseated from the opening 23 and rolling` around in the chamber 21, as will be the case, when the lubricator is in motion, oil will feed through the opening 23 and duct 2l into the feed arm and thence tnrough the feed tip 7 to the pipe 10 and parts to be lubricated.

By this device l make the operation of the lubricator automatic and independent of the control of the engineer, except :s to supplying steam to the condenser. But as the supply of steam for the .condenser is taken from the supplyv to the air-punip when he device is used upon a locomotive, and as the airpump is always in operation when the locomotive is in operation, steam will be supplied to thel condenser of the lubricatrn' at all times when the operation ol 'the device is desired, but oil cannotiow from the luhri- :n

to use a ball valve adapted to be uns-cated by 1 movement of a part to which the lulu'icator 'is attached and to scat when such movement ceasesfs, to thereby establish and cut oli' the feed of lubricant respectively, but l do not hner: of any instance where ball valves have been used in the combination hereinabove recited and hereinafter claimed.

l have shown and described in v invention applied to flange oiling lulnicator of the condensation displacement type, and it is to such a lubricator that my invention is particularly adapted, but it is to he rondwstood that l do not intend. thereby to limit it to this particular syndication, nor do l consider it lnni'ed to the particular details of construction and arrangement of parts shown, as it is obvious that it is capable of various other installations and modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the follmving claims. A

What I claim is 1. In a lubricator, an oil bowl, a condenser connected therewith, and a. check valve interposed between said condenser and bowl and adapted to remain closed when said bowl remains stationary and to open intermittently upon intermittent movement of said bowl.

v2. In a lubricator, an oil bowl, a condenser connected therewith` a steam pipe connected with said condenser and adaptwl lo supply steam to be condensed by said con4 denser for the iniifpose of displacing the oil in said bowl, and a motion responsive wlw lill lof

.lid

lill) interposed `between said condenser and bowl to interrupt the feed from said condenser to said bowl when the lubricator is stationary and to open feed communication there between when said lubricator is moved.`

3.. ln a lubricator, an oil bowl, a conden-` ser connected therewith, a steam pipe oonnected with said condenser and adaptedto supply steam to be condensed by the condenser for the purpose oi displacing the oil in said bowl, a feed arm communieating,`

with said bowl and adapted to receive the oil dis-placed, a .motion responsive valve in-` terposed between said condenser and bowl, and a motion responsive valve in said 'feed arm, for the purpose specified.

l. In lubricator, an oil bowl., a eendenser communicating with a source ol' steamy and connected with said bowl for supplying water of condensation to said bowl to displace the oil therein, a motion responsive valve interposed between said condenser and bowl and adapted to remain closed when the lubricator is motionless and to open intermittently upon intermittent motion of said lubricator, a feed arm communicating withL said bowl and adapted to receive the dis- `placed oil therefrom, a motion responsive valve interposed between said bowl and arm and operating in like manner as the abovementioned valve for controlling,` the iiow ol oil from said bowl to said arm, and amanually operable `valvein said eedarm for regulating the How of oil after it passes said last-mentioned motion-responsive valve.

5. In a lubricator, an oil bowl, a condenser ciommunicatingwith a source of steam and connected with said bowl for supplying` water of condensation thereto, and a gravity-seated motion-responsive ball valve interposed between said condenser and bowl for the purpose specified.

6. lln a lubricator, an oil bowl, a "co'n-` denser, and a gravity-seated valve interposed aiid adording a normally closed connection therebetween, said valve adapted to be unseated by movement of` said lubricator to open communication between the condenser and bowl and to close such communication upon cessation of such motion.

7. In a` lubricator, as oil bowl, a con` denser, a feed arm, gravityseated valves interposed o between said condenser .i and` bowl and bowl and arm respectively` ybe unseated by movement oi' said lubricator and to `reseat upon cessation of suoli movement, and ai manually operable needle valve in' said arm 'or regulating,- the flow of oilv alter it passes the valve between said bowl and ar 9. In a lubricator, an oil bowl, a condenser `communicating withV a source of,`

steam and connected with said bowl for supplying water of condensation to said bowl to displace the oil therein, a motion responsiwev ball valve interposed between said Condenser and bowl and adapted to remain closed when the lubrioator is motionless and to open intermittently upon intermittent motion of said lubricator, a feed arm communicating with said bowl and adapted to receive the displaced oil therefrom, and a motion responsive ball valve interposed `between said bowl and arm and operating in like manner as the abovementioned valve for controlling the flow of oil from said bowl to said arm.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand this Sd day of Januaryl-l.. l). 192i..

FRANK w; ianwnians.

Witnesses WILLIAiii FURRY, GEORGE ll/l. Dionsoia. 

